Summary
Previous cytokinetic studies in Moloney-virus (M-MuLV)-induced lymphomas of BALB/c mice showed an intrathymic maturation block of prethymic lymphocytes derived from hematopoietic tissues. Thymus-cell cultures during the latent period of lymphoma development showed a proportion of nonlymphoid cells (NLC) from uninfected mice of 0.1% (3 days) to 0.002% (20 days), rising in infected mice to 1–2% after 5 weeks. Concomitantly, thymic epithelial cells exhibit progressive degenerative changes in vivo in infected mice with virus replication and in vitro a marked cellular polymorphism with nuclear atypia becomes overt. Immunofluorescence studies of thymopoietin II and serum thymus factor in epithelial cells indicate a marked decrease of these hormones in the epithelial cells from infected mice. These results suggest a functional defect of virus-infected thymic epithelial cells which causes a progressive accumulation of nondifferentiating T-cell precursors.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Avrameas S, Ternynck T, Guesdon J-L (1978) Coupling of enzymes to antibodies and antigens. Scand J Immunol (Suppl 8) 7:7–23
Gillette RW, Fox A (1977) Changes caused in the homing paterns of chromium 51-labeled lymphoid cells by Moloney sarcoma virus infection. J Natl Cancer Inst 58:1621–1628
Goldstein G (1975) The isolation of thymopoietin (thymin). Ann NY Acad Sci 249:177–185
Haas W, Deyng T, Krueger GRF, Feaux de Lacroix W (1981) Autoradiographic and immunocytologic identification of atypical cell proliferation during Moloney virus induced lymphoma development. In: Yohn DS, Blakeslee JR (eds) Advances in comparative leukemia research. Elsevier North Holland, New York Amsterdam Oxford (pp. 241–243)
Hays EF (1968) The role of thymus reticular epithelial cells in virus-leukemogenesis. Cancer Res 28:21–26
Jordan RK, Crouse DA (1980) Non-lymphoid cells and intrathymic T-cell differentiation. In: Holton JD (ed) Development and differentiation of vertebrate lymphocytes. Elsevier North Holland, New York Amsterdam Oxford (pp. 47–61)
Jordan RK, Crouse DA, Harper CM, Watkins EB, Sharp JG (1979) The thymic microenvironment. In: Baum SJ (ed) Experimental Hematology Today. Springer, New York (pp. 139–153)
Krueger GRF, Meyer EM (1982) Classification of malignant lymphomas of the mouse using morphological, immunological and cytochemical methods: A working proposal. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 104:41–52
Krueger GRF, Fischer KM, Flesch HG (1978) Sequential changes of T- and B-cells, virus antigen expression and primary histologic tumor diagnosis in virus-induced lymphomagenesis of mice. Z Krebsforsch 92:41–54
Mertens H, Krueger GRF (1976) Percent distribution of T-and B-lymphoid cells in spleen and lymph nodes of Moloney virus infected mice. Z Krebsforsch 85:169–175
Metcalf D (1966) Histologic and transplantation studies on preleukemic thymus of the AKR mouse. J Natl Cancer Inst 37:425–442
Wekerle H, Ketelsen U-P, Ernst M (1980) Thymic nurse Cells. Lymphoepithelial cell complexes in murine thymuses: Morphological and serological characterization. J Exp Med 151:925–944
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Supported by grant Kr 476/6-4 from the German Science Foundation
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Krueger, G.R.F., Karpinski, A., Heine, U.I. et al. Differentiation block of prethymic lymphocytes during Moloney-virus-induced lymphoma development associated with a thymic epithelial defect. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 106, 153–157 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00395395
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00395395